The webinar, attended by over 100 participants from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, underscored the global recognition of sport trafficking as a pressing issue. Speakers included high-profile representatives from international organisations such as FIFA, CAF, the United Nations, and prominent academic institutions, as survivor testimonies added a powerful human dimension to the discussions.

At the heart of the transformative event was the unveiling of the Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, a comprehensive document meticulously designed to empower governments and organisations to confront the problem. By leveraging evidence-based analysis derived from the report, Mission 89 aims to provide insightful perspectives on the issue and offer action-oriented policy recommendations to drive meaningful change.

Delivering his keynote address, Prof. Dr. Michel Veuthey, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta stated, “How can we better prevent and combat human trafficking? We need a strong international legal framework, increased public awareness, and active engagement from law enforcement, judges and magistrates, researchers and academic institutions, the media, and the business community.”

Speakers at the webinar assessed policy gaps in United Nations conventions, African Union frameworks, and sports regulations, as well as weaknesses in agent regulations and sports academy licensing practices, and advocated for cross-border collaborations and support systems for vulnerable athletes.

Dr. Decius Hikabwa Chipande, Head of the African Union Sport Council (AUSC) Secrétariat: “Sports serves as a powerful vehicle for economic progress but is also exploited for other purposes. African Union is strongly committed to combat trafficking in the world of sports. In terms of region, on the African continent, irregular migration is a continental phenomenon affecting all african countries.”   

For more insights on the research findings, policy gaps and solutions, download the webinar report here. Mission 89 NFN Webinar Report

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Mission 89, the global research and advocacy organisation dedicated to combating child trafficking in sports and athlete protection, has announced the appointment of professional footballer and Nigerian international, Ashleigh Plumptre as a global ambassador. This strategic partnership underscores the organisation’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding young athletes and upholding the integrity of football.

Ashleigh Plumptre, renowned for her defensive prowess and dedication to social justice, brings a compelling voice to Mission 89’s initiatives against exploitation in sports. Her extensive experience at the highest levels of professional football, alongside her passionate advocacy for ethical practices, positions her as an exemplary representative for this vital cause.

“Sport Trafficking is a critical issue that demands immediate attention and action from all stakeholders – government, advocates, leaders, professional athletes and policy makers”, stated Lerina Bright, Executive Director of Mission 89. “Ashleigh’s dedication to protecting vulnerable young athletes and her platform as an athlete will be instrumental in amplifying our message and reaching communities at risk.”

The collaboration will focus on several key initiatives, including highlighting the risks of trafficking in sports through targeted campaigns and community outreach; strengthening global alliances to bolster child protection in sports; implementing strategies to safeguard young athletes from exploitation; and informing families, communities and other stakeholders about safe recruitment practices and the dangers of unscrupulous agents.

“As a footballer, I have observed firsthand how aspirations can serve as both a source of hope and a potential vulnerability for young athletes,” remarked Ashleigh. “My experiences in professional sports have taught me that talent alone is insufficient; protection, education, and ethical pathways are vital components. Mission 89 represents more than just an organization to me; it signifies a platform for transforming the narrative surrounding youth in football. We are not merely preventing trafficking; we are reclaiming the true spirit of the game—a spirit characterized by opportunity, dignity, and hope.”

“Football has the potential to transform lives; however, it is imperative that we ensure this transformation is both positive and secure. Joining Mission 89 enables me to contribute to the safeguarding of the dreams of young players who view football as their pathway to a better future,” she added.

This partnership emerges at a pivotal moment as the sports industry confronts escalating challenges in shielding young talent from exploitation. This comes as experts in Mission 89’s recently released Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking have also called for stricter legislation and collaborations between government and institutions globally to strengthen protective measures and protection against trafficking in the industry.

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Mission 89, in partnership with Loughborough University and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch (CPA UK), has released the first-ever comprehensive Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, presenting a rigorous academic and policy-oriented analysis of human trafficking within the global sports ecosystem.

The report integrates a comprehensive literature review, interdisciplinary expert consultations, forensic analysis of documented trafficking incidents, comparative international policy assessment, including contributions from global experts. While highlighting the economic benefits of the sports industry, which is estimated to be between $471 billion and $1.4 trillion annually, the report sheds light on how this lucrative industry has become a magnet for traffickers exploiting vulnerable individuals, particularly young athletes from the Global South.

According to industry stakeholders, the absence of a specific definition for ‘sport trafficking’ has presented significant challenges in distinguishing the phenomenon from migrant smuggling, irregular migration, and other forms of human trafficking, thereby preventing targeted Interventions. In addition, the US Department of State has identified significant regulatory gaps within sport governing bodies. Even established regulations, such as FIFA’s prohibition on international transfers of minors, have revealed numerous loopholes and enforcement challenges.

The report introduces a scholarly and precise definition of sport trafficking, referred to as a systematic process of recruiting and exploiting individuals within the sporting domain, characterised by coercive mechanisms that compromise individual autonomy and fundamental human rights. It not only involves the direct exploitation of athletes but also extends to the myriad ways through which the industry can serve as a conduit for labour and sexual exploitation, especially during mega sporting events which attract increased demand for informal labour and entertainment services (that may involve trafficking for sexual exploitation).

For Dr Serhat Yilmaz, the Lead Researcher of the report and Senior Lecturer in Sports Law at Loughborough University, it is quite straightforward. “Without a precise, sport-specific definition of trafficking, we are dealing with inadequate legal protections, ineffective policy development, challenges in identifying and supporting victims, limited prevention strategies, and blurred legal distinctions that allow perpetrators to escape accountability. Therefore, our objective is to bring sport trafficking out of the shadows and into focused, actionable legal and social frameworks”, he explained.

The report also presents a typology of sport trafficking supported by case studies that are identified and developed through the research. This typology of sport trafficking, as another novel aspect of the document, provides an overview of the different types of trafficking evident in, through, and around sports. In each case, the existence of the type of trafficking is determined by the presence of the necessary constituent elements of the trafficking crime as per the definition of the UN Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Protocol.

“Aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 8.7 and 16.2, the research provides a foundational scholarly contribution to understanding and mitigating trafficking vulnerabilities”, said Lerina Bright, Executive Director, Mission 89. “With a clear and specialised definition, we can provide clearer legal frameworks, guide more effective policymaking, improve victim support mechanisms, enable more targeted educational efforts and help the judiciary better recognize and address these specific trafficking cases.”

The report recommends that legislators and parliamentarians develop and implement domestic anti-trafficking laws that align with the TIP Protocol and relevant regional instruments. It advocates for a ‘non-punishment’ provision to protect trafficking victims, particularly migrant athletes, from criminal prosecution for actions stemming from their trafficking experiences. Experts also advocated for the introduction of a new recognised form of exploitation encompassing severe forms of economic exploitation in order to provide stronger protection for vulnerable athletes.

Policymakers should also adjust immigration frameworks for athletes to reduce trafficker exploitation opportunities and ensure recruitment follows international best practices for labour rights. In addition, building capacity through targeted training for identifying sport trafficking and improving data collection will be essential for raising awareness and addressing this critical issue.

The report identifies a range of different areas for improvement in efforts to combat sport trafficking and more effectively protect vulnerable athletes and aspiring athletes. They are consolidated as a set of recommendations for policymakers, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary, service providers, and sport organisations. In this respect, the insight of this report, typologies, and interpretive guide provide support and guidance for these actors in pursuing the recommendations and supporting anti-trafficking efforts.

Accessibility and Engagement

• Full Report: Available for download on Mission 89’s website
• Academic Inquiries: globalreport-ST@mission89.org

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The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the standard-bearer for all issues pertaining to the rights of children especially in countries where the legally-binding agreement has been ratified.  Article 19 UNCRC explicitly requires children to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse. Despite this, scholars such as Donnelly (2008) argue that currently, children remain the major class of persons who have enjoyed almost no increase in human rights in general, or in sport.

Football is a prime example of this. The lure of the Big 5 European leagues has increasingly led to the migration of young footballers from developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. For every young footballer who “makes it” in Europe, there are a great number who not only fail to make the grade, but often fall into the wrong hands, and are subsequently left abroad and desolate.

Lionel Messi, arguably the most talented footballer of his generation, left Argentina for Barcelona at the tender age of 13 and reached super-stardom within a few years. In contrast, it is estimated that 15,000 young players are moved out of West Africa every year on false pretenses of fame in European football, but due to the lack of monitoring the number could be much larger in actuality (Poli, 2010). These young African footballers often end up being exploited by unscrupulous traffickers, ending up worse off than they were when they left their home countries.

In order for state actors, governing bodies and NGOs to counteract this phenomenon, it is critical that the push and pull factors of a young footballer’s decision to leave home in search of a football career in Europe is well investigated and understood.

Bogus agents and “talent scouts”

Recently, FIFPro warned footballers about criminals posing as player agents on LinkedIn. Several players informed FIFPro about their experiences with a person named Steve Mac Hughes who they say deceived them by promising trials or contracts with clubs in the United Kingdom and Asia. In short, this person approached them via LinkedIn, said that a club was interested and that he would arrange a trial or a contract if the player first signed with him and paid a fee. None of the players spoke with or saw the person; they communicated with the “agent” via LinkedIn and WhatsApp. After they sent the money through a Western Union account, the person broke off all contact. This phenomenon is particularly widespread in the many “football factories” all across the African and South American continents.

Money talks

Research conducted by Prof. James Esson (2015:521) of Loughborough University on the migration of young African footballers to Europe found that many of them believed that a career in professional football and migration to a league outside of Africa is a realistic career-decision in order to lift an individual and therefore vicariously their family out of poverty. This is seen as a hugely significant factor that lures impoverished and often desperate young footballers into migrating to Europe by any means necessary, playing into the exploitative hands of traffickers and fraudulent agents.

Easy as that

The global image of successful athletes, who mostly ply their trade overseas, creates a desire among the youth to also elevate their standards as well as whet their hopes and appetite for “success”. Hence, globalised societies and the immense influence of social media have created the illusion that success in football or sports in general is a given, as long as an individual has talent and the right work ethic.

For example, Poli (2006) conducted a survey with the Ivorian Under-17 national team, where 18 of the 23 players he asked said that, once in Europe, finding a professional club to play for would be easy. Such optimism was not shared by their team’s trainer who felt that only three or four of them had the requisite talent to breakthrough in Europe. For many talented young boys and girls around the world, any career pathway that offers hope for breaking out of poverty is worth the attempt.

“Cultural placement”

‘Cultural placement’ is a reciprocal arrangement where a young person leaves his immediate family and is placed in the care of an individual or household, with their labour offered in exchange for education and/ or training, as well as his means of subsistence. For instance in Benin, there exists a local tradition of “vidomegon,” where village children work as servants to wealthy urban families in return for education and training. This often extends to families sending their children to acquaintances who are not well-known in Europe, in the hope that their children have better life chances in the “western world” (Manzo, 2005). False promises of reciprocity and return are an increasingly common theme in the migration of young footballers from developing nations into Europe.

There is certainly some evidence to argue that societies where “cultural placement” is standard practice seem to be susceptible to football migration.

References:

1. Donnelly, P. (2008). Sport and human rights. Sport in Society, 11(4), 381-394.
2. James Esson (2015) Better Off at Home? Rethinking Responses to Trafficked West African Footballers in Europe, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 41:3, 512-530, DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2014.927733
3. Manzo, K. (2005). Exploiting West Africa’s children: trafficking, slavery and uneven development. Area, 37(4), 393–401.doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2005.00644.x
4. Poli, R. (2010). Understanding globalization through football: The new international division of labour, migratory channels and transnational trade circuits. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 45(4), 491-506.
5. Taylor, M. (2006). Global players? Football, migration and globalization, c. 1930-2000. Historical social research, 31(1), 7-30.
6. Poli, R. (2006). Migrations and trade of African football players: historic, geographical and cultural aspects. Africa Spectrum, 393-414.

The writer, John Luke Chua, is a Graduate Research Assistant at Mission 89.

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Jason has an installation based on ‘Black Diamonds’ at the Spring/Break Art Show in New York City from March 6 to March 12. The exhibition features artists responding to the theme ‘Stranger Comes to Town’.

‘Black Diamonds’ documents the experience of footballers from West Africa who were scammed and abandoned in Istanbul. Their story is both unique and common (it’s complicated) and underlines the complex issue of player movment from Africa to Europe and the role of sport in human trafficking.

The photo essay also documents the challenges young athletes encounter as they face the harsh realities of migration and try to follow their dreams.

From ‘Black Diamonds’ by Jason Andrew SPRING/BREAK Art Show

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A report from CNN has exposed a modern day slave trade in Libya where migrants from Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and other African countries are sold as products.

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba used his goal celebration in a return-from-injury Premier League game against Newcastle United in October to highlight the issue.

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In the south of Kansas City on a corner of 43rd Avenue there is an Italian restaurant called Cupini’s. Eddie Cupini and his father, Franco, have dedicated nearly 15 years to serving the best pasta in town – “Just like my mom used to make,” says Franco – and earning a few awards along the way. But soon they will be leaving behind the restaurant and the life they have built in America.

Eddie’s 10-year-old son, Alessandro, has signed up to Roma’s esteemed academy. Alessandro is something of a social media sensation with more than 40,000 followers on Instagram and a dedicated YouTube channel showcasing his prodigious talent, all managed by his father. He even has a nickname: The Wolf. “A lion and a tiger are mean but you can’t take a wolf to the circus,” Eddie explains.

Read the full story by clicking here.

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